FaithInvest gathering of faiths in Australia live-streamed to 37,000 people globally
- Susie Weldon
- Jul 10
- 2 min read
FaithInvest has co-hosted an extraordinary gathering of faiths and traditional cultures in Australia – which was also live-streamed to 37,000 people around the world – to discuss how they can use their assets, influence and investments to protect All Life Under Heaven.
The event was also co-hosted by the Australian Taoist Association, WWF International’s Beliefs and Values Programme and the Universities of Sydney and Hong Kong.
FaithInvest Founding President Martin Palmer spoke at the All Life Under Heaven event, which brought together around 80 people in person on 29 June, including representatives of Baha'ism, Buddhism, Christianity, Daoism, First Nations peoples and Hinduism.
Video messages were provided by Dr Iyad Abumoghli, Founder and Director of UNEP's Faith for Earth Coalition, and Dr Rajwant Singh, President of EcoSikh, while secular groups included WWF and YMCA. The event concluded with a Daoist blessing ceremony.
Australia's Chinese community
Although Australia has one of the largest overseas Chinese communities, with more than 1.4 million people of Chinese heritage, this was the first time the Daoist community had hosted a multicultural event bringing key faith representatives together.
This reflected the desire of many in the diaspora that they should be contributing to the cultures around them, not just looking back to China, said Martin Palmer.
'This event was the Daoist community reaching out to all major faith and traditional communities and saying, how can we contribute?' he added.
The Chinese community contributes significantly to the Australian economy through trade, investment and entrepreneurship, and there is a growing desire among many in the diaspora to learn more about how traditional Daoist values should guide their investment activities.
As a result, there was a great deal of interest in the plans for a Daoist/Buddhist Investor Hub, said Martin, which FaithInvest is advising upon and which will be based at Hong Kong University.
Greater partnership
The All Life Under Heaven gathering was also the first time that such a major multi-faith event focusing on the environment and finance had been held in Australia, he added, and it had already resulted in a desire for much greater partnership between the different faith traditions.
The Daoist community, for example, had been able to establish real relationships between both the First Nations and Jewish communities.
'The Jewish community wasn't able to attend the event, because it was held on the Sabbath, so Master Yan [head of the Australian Taoist Association] met Michele Goldman, CEO of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies separately,' said Martin. 'I suddenly realised this was the first time I had been at a meeting between faith leaders where they were both female. I really felt quite emotional about it.'
As well as aiming for more multi-faith events, Daoists in Australia are also planning to open an eco-retreat centre – and they are keen to offer it to other faith and belief traditions to use too.
The Australia gathering was followed by a smaller event in New Zealand, which also has a strong Daoist presence, and where local Daoists are also planning to open an eco-retreat centre.
